1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to boat hulls and in particular relates to boat hulls which can be used for recreational purposes or working purposes.
The invention has application to vessels having a planing or displacement hull and which are intended to be propelled across the surface of the water by any suitable propulsion means which can include a motor driven propeller, a water jet or the wind
In particular the invention relates to an improvement to boat hulls which is intended to facilitate access to and from the vessel, out of and into the water respectively, by both personnel and equipment.
2. Description of the Background Art
According to conventional design the gunwale of a boat is spaced some distance from the surface of the water in order to prevent the deck from being flooded when the boat is in motion and/or in rough seas. Therefore when a person such as a diver wishes to enter the water from a boat it is necessary that they jump or fall from the gunwale of the vessel into the water. If a person wishes to enter the water in a controlled manner it is necessary that they do so in a manner which will not cause the boat to tip or capsize. If a person attempts to enter the water by lowering themself over the side of the vessel or attempts to enter the vessel over the side of the vessel there is a very strong likelihood that they will cause the vessel to tip and become unstable. In addition due to the height of the gunwale from the surface of the water it is very difficult for a swimmer and in particular a scuba diver to enter the vessel unaided. Therefore it is usual to provide a platform or ladder at the stern of the vessel which will enable persons to controllably lower themselves into the water from the stern of the vessel and to climb into the vessel from the water without causing the vessel to tip adversely. However, it is generally undesirable to have people in the water at the stern of the vessel due to the presence of the propeller. A further difficulty with conventional hull designs arises in circumstances where access is required of objects which are in the water and which require servicing or lifting into the vessel such as fishing nets, fish traps, craypots, buoys and like articles, since they usually at some time have to be lifted up and over the gunwales. This action can cause injury to the operator and cause the boat to tip or become unstable.